Method and apparatus for reaching from outside an upper level of a tall structure

ABSTRACT

An embodiment of the invention is directed to a system having a pulley attached to a building. A closed loop of cable is installed around the pulley. The loop is of sufficient length so as to reach, when deployed outside of the building, below the pulley to where emergency personnel gather in an area next to a base of the building (when responding to a disaster situation in the building). A winch around which the loop is to be operatively installed is located in the area next to the base. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 10/763,596,filed Jan. 23, 2004, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,395,899, which applicationclaims the benefit of the earlier U.S. filing date of ProvisionalApplication No. 60/442,265, filed Jan. 27, 2003.

BACKGROUND

An embodiment of the invention is generally related to raisingfirefighters and equipment to, and evacuation of people from, the upperfloors of a multi-story building during an emergency such as a fire.Other embodiments are also described.

When an emergency or disaster situation occurs in a tall structure suchas a multi-story building, emergency personnel (such as firefighters andparamedics) are called to alleviate the disaster or rescue peopletrapped in the building. Nowhere has this been more horribly exemplifiedthan at the World Trade Center towers in New York City, on Sep. 11,2001. In that case, people were trapped in the upper floors of thebuildings because of fires raging in lower floors. In addition, theemergency stairwells had become filled with smoke and hazardous gassesor had been rendered completely impassible due to debris. Although therewere also people on floors below the fires, some of them might not havebeen able to walk down the emergency stairwell because they wereinjured. In short, there was a need for massive evacuation from andassistance to all of these upper floors. The term “upper floors” here isintended to mean those portions of a multi-story building that are abovea base (e.g., the ground floor) of the building.

Because most of the upper floors were too high to be accessed fromoutside of the building using conventional firefighter ladders,emergency personnel had to walk up hundreds of flights of stairs(elevators are typically automatically shut down when there is abuilding fire). To make things worse, they had to battle the heat andsmoke on the way up through the stairs, while carrying relatively heavyequipment such as oxygen bottles, medical kits, and other equipmentneeded to alleviate the disaster or assist the injured. Their progressup the stairs unfortunately was too slow in view of the rate at whichthe fires were consuming the building. Some of the emergency personnelmay even have suffered heart attacks or smoke inhalation injuries whileclimbing the numerous stairs. It is possible that some of the evacuees,particularly those in the top most floors near the roof, might have beenrescued from the building by an emergency helicopter that could land onthe roof. However, this would still leave a significant number of peoplewith no choice but to jump out of a window of the building to theirdeaths, rather than be burned alive or asphyxiated by the raging fires.

There have been several systems disclosed for use in rescuing personstrapped in the upper floors of a multi-story building. See, e.g. U.S.Pat. Nos. 4,209,077; 4,919,228; 4,355,699; 4,424,884; and 4,406,351.Some of these systems use a platform or gondola that is suspendedalongside an exterior face of the building by a cable. The platform israised or lowered to a desired location next to an upper floor. Personsare then evacuated from that floor, and the platform loaded with theevacuees is then lowered to a safe haven (typically on the ground nextto the building). However, these systems might suffer from a number ofproblems, including a relatively high cost of manufacture or maintenanceas well as complex operation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example andnot by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings inwhich like references indicate similar elements. It should be noted thatreferences to “an” embodiment of the invention in this disclosure arenot necessarily to the same embodiment, and they mean at least one.

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram depicting a side elevation view of anembodiment of a system for reaching an upper floor of a multistorybuilding.

FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of another configuration of theembodiment of the system in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3A is a conceptual diagram depicting a front elevation view of theembodiment of the system in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3B is a conceptual diagram depicting a side elevation view of adual-sided embodiment of the system, showing the heavier of twocontainers aligning itself closer to the side of the building.

FIGS. 4A-4C are conceptual diagrams of other embodiments of the system.

FIG. 5A is a conceptual diagram depicting a side elevation view, showingother features of the system.

FIGS. 5B and 5C depict another example container for the system.

FIG. 6A illustrates a front elevation view of an alternative embodimentof the system.

FIGS. 6B and 6C illustrate an embodiment of the system that allowsaccess to the upper floors of a building on two adjacent sides.

FIGS. 7 and 8 depict a flow diagram for a method of accessing an upperfloor of a multi-story building.

FIG. 9 shows a side elevation view of a method of stabilizing thecontainer.

FIG. 10 shows a view similar to FIG. 9 with the container against thebuilding.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

According to an embodiment of the invention, a system and method aredescribed for reaching from outside an upper floor of a multi-storybuilding, that is believed to be more cost efficient and effective. Thissystem may include a closed loop of cable that is installed around apulley which is located at a roof or somewhere above an upper floor ofthe building. The loop is at least long enough to reach an area next toa base of the building (when allowed to hang outside of the building).The loop is to be installed into a winch preferably located in the areanext to the base of the building. The loop of cable is preferably ofsuch length as to render both a far portion and a near portion of theloop (relative to the building) under tension once the loop has beenproperly installed into the winch and the winch has been correctlylocated relative to the building. In operation, a load is attached tothe loop in the area next to the base of the building. Then, the winchis activated to raise the attached load until it has reached and issuspended at a desired level that is near the same level as an upperfloor of the building.

While the load is suspended by the loop with the winch being inactive,the load may be moved closer or farther to the building, by any one ofseveral techniques. For example, the winch may be moved either upwardsor towards the building, to position the suspended load closer to thebuilding for easier access into or from the building. This may be doneby moving a vehicle at the base of the building, and to which the winchis anchored, horizontally closer to the building. Alternatively, thewinch may be moved upward relative to the vehicle, while the vehicleremains still. Yet another alternative is to cause one or more moveablepulleys around which the loop is installed to move, while keeping thewinch inactive and still, to release some slack in the loop and therebyallow the suspended load to move closer to the building. Other ways ofchanging the tension in the near portion of the loop below the load mayalternatively be used to perhaps decrease the tension and thereby movethe suspended load closer to the building.

The load may include a container, such that people may be evacuated fromthe upper floor by being accepted into the container (while thecontainer is suspended at approximately the upper floor). Once thecontainer has been loaded, it may be moved away from the building, priorto lowering the evacuees to a haven (e.g., the area next to the base ofthe building) by activating the winch in its opposite direction. Forexample, the winch may be moved either downwards or away from thebuilding, to back the suspended load away from the building. This may bedone by moving the vehicle at the base of the building, to which thewinch is anchored, horizontally further from the building.Alternatively, the winch may be moved downward relative to the vehicle,while the vehicle remains still. Yet another alternative is to cause oneor more moveable pulleys around which the loop is installed to move,while keeping the winch inactive and still, to take up slack in the loopand thereby pull the suspended load farther away from the building.Other ways of changing the tension in the near portion of the loop belowthe suspended load may alternatively be used to perhaps increase thetension and thereby move the suspended load farther from the building.

One or more of the embodiments of the invention described here may alsobe used to effectively and quickly raise various types of emergencyequipment, such as fire fighting equipment, air and water hoses, heavyequipment and emergency electric power, to the upper floors of thebuilding. As a result, firefighters need no longer carry them up astairwell of the building. This also helps reduce traffic congestion andload on the stairwell, while at the same time providing more firefighting equipment to the disaster site.

Although the system is expected to be particularly useful for movingfirefighters and equipment upward, and evacuating occupants fromrelatively high building levels that are beyond the reach of laddertrucks, the system may also prove to be useful for lower heightbuildings (and particularly those without sprinkler systems). That isbecause it may have the capability to lift and lower larger loads thancan existing ladder systems. In addition, evacuees may be handled mucheasier than on a ladder. Disabled persons and hospital patients may alsofind it easier to use a container basket or gondola, rather than aladder.

The logistics of certain embodiments are relatively straight forward yetadaptable. For instance, a relatively low installation cost is incurredby the building owner, primarily due to the pulley (and its attachmentsto the building) and the loop of cable. The winch is preferably to bemounted on conventional Fire Department vehicles or a standard truck. Inaddition, there is also the benefit of being able to use the system tohoist and deposit non-emergency equipment to any upper floor (which maynot be practical using the built-in elevator system of the building).There may be additional advantages or benefits to using the system,including some that will be further discussed below.

Referring to FIGS. 1-3A, these figures illustrate side elevation andfront elevation views of a system 20 for accessing an upper floor 507 ofa multi-story building 500. The building 500 has a roof 502 having anedge 504, a base 506, and a face or side 508 on which flames 510 areraging. The roof 502 as used here may be the actual roof of the building500, or any other conventional location near the top of the building500. The base 506 may be at ground level, another level near groundlevel, or any other level next to which there is an area where emergencyequipment and personnel can gather when responding to a disastersituation in the building (e.g., the roof of another, adjacentbuilding—not shown).

A pulley 22 is mounted, in this embodiment, on the roof 502 near theedge 504. An alternative would be to attach the pulley to somewhere onthe building above an upper floor. The distance between the pulley 22and the base 506, along a vertical, is indicated as the height, H.Various ways of attaching the pulley to the building will be describedbelow.

The system 20 also has a winch 24 which is preferably disposed in anarea next to the base 506 of the building, as shown. The winch 24 mayalternatively be located near the top of the building (instead of nearthe bottom) with the pulley near the bottom. Upon activation (e.g., theapplication of motor power), the winch 24 can selectively rotate in afirst direction or an opposite second direction. In a preferredembodiment, the winch 24 is anchored or secured to a vehicle 26 asshown, which may be a Fire Department truck, that is horizontallymoveable toward and away from the building 500. Alternatively, the winch24 may be installed so as to move horizontally or vertically in otherways, such as on a track or on an inclining ramp. For instance, such atrack might be located on an adjacent building or structure, instead ofon the ground as shown. As will be explained below, a reason for makingthe winch horizontally or vertically moveable is to allow a suspendedload in the system to be moved a) away from a side of a building forclearance while being raised or lowered, and b) closer to the buildingfor easier loading and unloading from the upper floor. Other ways ofmoving the suspended load towards and away from the side of the buildinginclude the embodiment of the invention depicted in FIGS. 4A-4C (to bedescribed below).

The system also features a closed loop of cable 28 that is connectedaround the pulley 22 and the winch 24. The cable may be a wire rope,rope, chain, line, or the like, which is of sufficient strength tosuspend the intended load that will be attached to the cable, e.g.evacuees and related emergency personnel and equipment. The loop ofcable 28 is of sufficient length so as to reach, when deployed outsideof the building as shown, below the pulley to where emergency personnelgather in an area next to the base 506 of the building when respondingto a disaster situation in the building. For example, the total lengthof the closed loop may be about twice the height H for the embodiment ofFIG. 1, that is, a little more than twice the height H to allow fordistance D1 as shown in FIG. 1. In the preferred embodiment, the loop ofcable 28 is connected exactly once around the pulley 22 as shown, andexactly once around the winch 24. In other words, neither the pulley 22nor winch 24 have multiple wrappings of the loop of cable 28.Alternatively, however, more than one wrap of the cable may be usedaround the pulley or winch. Since, in many cases, the total length ofthe loop of cable 28 is determined by the height of the building 500,different buildings with different heights may generally require loopshaving different lengths.

The system 20 shown in FIG. 1 further includes, in this embodiment, acontainer 30 designed for holding people and equipment and is connectedto a near portion 31 of the loop of cable 28. This container may be aplatform with a collapsible net, a basket (shown), a cage, a gondola, amodule, or any other structure that may be used to transport evacuees,emergency personnel, or equipment to and from an upper floor of themulti-story building 500. If more than one container is to be usedsimultaneously in the system, they are preferably contra-positionedalong the loop of cable 28, such that while the container 30 is movingtoward the roof 502 (e.g., to assist evacuees), another container 32connected to a far portion 29 is simultaneously moving toward the base506 (e.g., to deliver evacuees to safety). See FIG. 3B for such anexample. As an alternative, this system may be operated with just asingle container 30, at a lower cost of operation and deployment.

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate two different instances of the system as it isoperating. In FIG. 1, the winch 24 has been moved to a location that isat a distance D1 (measured perpendicular to the side 508 of thebuilding). In contrast, in FIG. 2, the winch 24 has been moved (in thisembodiment, by driving the vehicle 26) to a further distance D2(measured perpendicular to the side 508). With the winch 24 located atD1 (FIG. 1), the container 30 rests against the side 508 of the buildingand there is some slack in the near portion 31 of the loop of cable 28(that is between the winch 24 and a point at which the container 30 issecured to the loop of cable 28). Note, however, that the far portion 29of the loop of cable 28 has essentially no slack (due to the weight ofthe container 30).

As the winch 24 is moved outward to distance D2 (FIG. 2) the distance Lincreases while H remains constant (see FIG. 1). In addition, the slackin the near portion 31 of the loop 28 is reduced, and has been moved toan angle large enough with respect to the side 508 that the container 30is pulled clear of the building. This may help, for example, keep anyevacuees and rescue personnel that are in the container 30 away from theflames 510 or other building related dangers or items that mightprotrude from the side 508, as the container 30 is lowered. The positionof the winch 24 with respect to the building may accordingly be adjustedas needed, to not only adjust the tension in the near portion 31 of theloop of cable 28 but also to move any load that is suspended by the loopof cable towards or away from the side of the building.

Note that the overall length of the loop cable 28 should be designed soas to allow for reasonable distances D1 and D2 to fall within an areanext to the base 506 of the building that preferably can be easilyaccessed by emergency equipment and personnel when responding to adisaster situation in the building 500. However, an alternative tohaving the winch 24 move horizontally to adjust loop tension andhorizontal load position is to provide for its vertical movement (orsome combination of both). For example, the winch 24 could be installedon a short, elevator-type mechanism. Another possibility is to securethe winch 24 to a ramp whose angle with respect to the ground may bechanged by activating a power mechanism. Other alternatives that canincrease or decrease the tension in the portion of the loop of cable 28from below the suspended load to the winch, to thereby change theposition of the suspended load with respect to the side 508 of thebuilding, may also be used.

The vehicle 26 may also be equipped with an anchor feature to keep thevehicle (and hence the winch 24) fixed in a single location despite theforces generated while the loop of cable has been installed and is undertension. One example is to rigidly attach the vehicle to a lamp post orother relatively immovable structure; another may be to tie the vehiclein several different directions to respective anchor rings built intothe area next to the base of the building.

In those embodiments where a second container 32 is attached to the farportion 29 of the loop of cable 28, FIG. 3B is provided to illustratesuch dual-sided embodiments with a side elevation view of the system 20.The heaviest load (if there is more than one) attached to the loop maytend to align itself closest to the side of the building. Accordingly,in the embodiment shown here, it is the container 30 (which is loadedwith evacuees or some other load) that has positioned itself closest tothe side of the building.

Turning now to FIG. 4A, a diagram of yet another technique for moving asuspended load (here, the container 30 attached to a loop of cable 318),towards and away from the side of the building 500, is shown. The systemin this embodiment has a top pulley 322, a winch or traction pulley 324,and a set of four additional pulleys 328, 332, 336, and 340. Some or allof the additional pulleys 328-340 are preferably located on the samevehicle (not shown) as the one to which the winch 324 is secured. Theloop of cable 318 is operatively installed around all of these pulleys.Note that the diagram is not to scale, and is merely being used toillustrate the operation of the system. In practice, the relative size,location, and number of pulleys 322-340 may be different than shown. Seefor example, the system in FIG. 4B where there are only two additionalpulleys 426, 428, on either side of a winch 424, and where cable tensioncan be added or reduced from the far portion 29 as well as the nearportion 31 of a loop of cable 418.

Referring to FIG. 4A, moving the pulleys 332, 340 (also referred to asadjuster pulleys) to the left of the figure while keeping all otherpulleys in the system still may add tension to the near portion 31 ofthe loop of cable 318 (below the suspended container 30), and cause thecontainer 30 (as suspended) to move to the right, away from the building500. In contrast, moving the adjuster pulleys 332, 340 to the right(while keeping all others still) may remove tension from the nearportion 31, thereby causing the container 30 to move to the left, closerto the building 500. More generally, any one or more of the pulleys328-340 may be designed to be moveable so as to achieve the desiredaddition or reduction in tension on the near portion 31. The sameexplanation may apply to the embodiment of FIG. 2, where moving thevehicle 26 to the further distance D2 may add more tension to the loopof cable in the near portion 31 below the suspended load, therebycausing the container 30 to be pulled away from the building 500. Thereverse is also true, to allow the container 30 to move back towards thebuilding.

Turning now to FIG. 4C, a conceptual diagram of yet another techniquefor moving the suspended load (here the container 30 attached to a loopof cable 468), towards and away from the side of the building 500, isshown. The system in this embodiment has a top pulley 462 which may bepermanently attached to the roof or above an upper floor of the building500, a winch or traction pulley 464, and a set of two additional,so-called “deflector” pulleys 465 and 467. One or both of thesedeflector pulleys 465, 467 are preferably anchored to the same vehicle(not shown) as the one to which the traction pulley 464 is secured.

In addition, the system also has a moveable or adjuster pulley 466. Theadjuster pulley 466 in this embodiment is “floating” in that it need notbe held other than by tension in the loop of cable 468 and an adjustmentcable 474. In this embodiment, the adjuster pulley 466 is floating,while all other pulleys in the system as shown (pulleys 462, 464, 465,467, and 472) remain fixed. Tension in the loop of cable 468, and inparticular in the near portion 31 below the suspended container 30, maybe adjusted by a drum winch 470. The drum winch 470 rotates, toalternatively pull and let out the adjustment cable 474. The adjustmentcable 474 is installed around the drum winch 470 at one end, isconnected to the adjuster pulley 466 at another end, and is installedaround the pulley 472.

While the adjuster pulley 466 is floating, the pulley 472 is preferablypermanently secured to the building 500 near its base as shown. On theother hand, the traction pulley 464, as well as the deflector pulleys465 and 467, along with the drum winch 470, may be secured to a vehicle(e.g., a Fire Department truck), not shown, that will arrive at thescene in the area next to the base of the building 500 in the event ofan emergency situation involving the building. The same vehicle may alsobe used to deliver the adjuster pulley 466, as well as perhaps thepulley 472. An operator of the system (such as an emergency worker) maycontrol the raising and lifting of the suspended container 30 byactivating the traction pulley 464 in one of its two oppositedirections, and may also move the suspended container 30 towards andaway from the side of the building 500 by activating the drum winch 470in one of its opposite directions of rotation.

As mentioned above, the top or upper pulley 22 may be permanentlyattached to a structural support of the building 500, and located in asingle position near an edge 504 of the roof 502. This arrangement maybe modified as shown in FIG. 5A, such that the pulley 22 is moveablefrom a retracted position on the roof 502 to an extended position asshown, where pulley 22 hangs over the edge 504. Pulley 22 may have anaxle that is fixed parallel (or fixed perpendicular) to the face or side508 of the building as shown. Alternatively, the axle may swivel, sothat it may be positioned at a variable angle to the side 508 duringoperation of the system. In addition, the loop of cable 28 may be storedon the roof 502, such as in a housing 34. The loop of cable 28 may thenbe deployed automatically, by first connecting it around the pulley 22,and then dropping or letting the loop of cable down from the roof sothat it may reach the winch 24. Alternatively, the loop of cable 28 mayalready be installed around the pulley 22 and is stored in a verticalhousing 36 which extends down the face 508 of the building 500. In thatcase, the loop of cable 28 may be deployed by opening the verticalhousing 36 and letting the loop down to the winch 24 on which it will beinstalled. In the automatically deployed embodiment, a mechanism may beprovided that automatically deploys the loop of cable in response toreceiving a radio signal from the Fire Department or other entity thatwill be operating the system. For even faster deployment, the loop ofcable 28 may be left completely extended, down to the base, andremovably secured to the area next to the base of the building at alltimes prior to deployment for rescue operations.

Referring now to FIG. 5B, a container 530 is shown that provides someclearance for the far portion 29 of the loop of cable 28. The container530 has two load areas 530, 536 that are attached to a common brace 535.One end of the loop of cable 28 may be passed through a top ring 531 andattached (via a safety hook, for example) to a bottom lifting ring 533.The other end of the loop may be attached to the bottom lifting ring 533as shown. Some form of stabilization mechanism (e.g., see FIGS. 9-10below) may be added to maintain stability of the container 530 while itis suspended and being raised or lowered next to the building 500.

Turning now to FIG. 6A, a front elevation view of another embodiment ofthe system 20 is shown. In this embodiment, there are two spaced apartpulleys 22 that are mounted on the roof 502. The loop of cable 28 inthis instance is connected around both pulleys 22, as well as the winch24. Rather than being oriented substantially parallel to the face 508 ofthe building (as shown in FIGS. 1-4C), the axles of the pulleys 22 are,in this embodiment, oriented substantially perpendicular to the face508. This version is useful for the dual-sided embodiment, where a widerseparation between the containers may be maintained to reduce thepossibility of interference at the mid point of travel where thecontainers 30, 32 pass one another. It also provides two, alternatingloading positions which are side-by-side next to the same side of thebuilding (compare, FIG. 3B).

In contrast to the embodiment of FIG. 6A, FIGS. 6B and 6C show a twosided version of the system in which different loading positions areprovided next to two different, adjacent sides 508 and 509 of thebuilding 500. In this embodiment, the two pulleys 22 are positioned nearthe top of the building 500 near the edge of the adjacent sides 508 and509, respectively. FIG. 6B illustrates a front view while FIG. 6Cillustrates a side perspective view. Note that the winch 24 may beprovided with two different positions A and B near the bottom or base ofthe building 500. Position A is closer to the sides 508 and 509 (or at ahigher elevation) than position B. The loads (not shown), which areattached to the different sides 29A and 29B, respectively, of the loopof cable 29, will hang closer to the building 500 when the winch is atposition A. Moving the winch 24 outwards or downwards to position B willmove the suspended loads away from the sides 508 and 509 of thebuilding. Finally, activating the winch in one direction will raise oneload while simultaneously lowering the other, and the reverse occurs ifthe winch is activated in a reverse direction.

Referring now to FIGS. 7 and 8, a flow diagram of a method for accessingfrom outside an upper floor of a multi-story building is shown. Thismethod is now described, with occasional references made to theembodiments of the system 20 shown in FIGS. 1-6C (the method alsoapplies to other embodiments of the system 20 that are not shown).Operation begins with a request being made to access the building, suchas an emergency 9-1-1 call during a disaster situation in which thebuilt-in elevators of the building may or may not be operational, oraccess to the upper floors through means such as interior or exteriorstairwells in the building may or may not be available or is tooimpractical. In response to the request, a winch may be transported toan area next to the base of the building (104). A loop of cable may bedeployed down to the winch, where the loop is operatively installed on apulley that is attached to the building (108). In some cases, the loopof cable may already be fully deployed and, for example, secured to thebase of the building where it is accessible to the operators of thewinch. In either case, the loop is installed into the winch, and theloop is closed, if not already closed (112). At this point, when theloop has been installed into the winch, there preferably is some slackin the loop to ease installation into the winch. Next, the winch may bemoved horizontally or vertically, to place the loop under tension (116).As an alternative, the winch may be kept still while moving one or moreadjuster pulleys. Examples are shown in FIGS. 4A-4C where the loop ofcable is under tension, in both its near and far portions. There may beintermediate locations of the winch and/or adjuster pulleys where a nearportion of the loop (that hangs below the load attached to the loop)varies between light and heavy tension, to move the load closer to orfarther from the building. Operation may then proceed with attaching aload to the loop, at the area next to the base of the building (120). Aswill be described below, this may be done in any one of severaldifferent ways. For example, the load may be a container that has a hookwhich can be removably attached to a ring that is permanently affixed tothe loop of cable.

Operation proceeds with activating the winch to raise the attached loadto an upper floor of the building, and then stop the winch when the loadhas reached a desired level, e.g. near that of a desired upper floor(124). The winch may then be moved to reduce tension in the loop,thereby causing the suspended load to approach the side of the buildingand, if desired, eventually touch and lie against the side (128). Asexplained above, other ways of reducing tension in the loop (to move thesuspended load towards the building) may alternatively be used, e.g. seeFIGS. 4A-4C).

Next, referring now to FIG. 8, equipment or personnel may be unloadedinto the upper floor. Alternatively, evacuees may be loaded, forexample, into a container attached to the loop (132). The container may,if desired, be secured to the upper floor while loading and unloading.Once finished with the loading or unloading, operation proceeds withmoving the winch, this time to increase tension in the loop and therebycause the suspended load to move away from the side of the building(136). Again, other ways of adding tension to the loop of cable (asinstalled in the system) may alternatively be used, e.g. see FIGS.4A-4C. While away from the side of the building, the load can be loweredwithout being impeded by anything that may protrude from the side of thebuilding. The winch is then activated in the opposite direction, tolower the suspended load, and stop when the load has reached a desiredlower floor or has reached all the way down to the area next to the base(140). After having unloaded any personnel, evacuees, or equipment(144), any further parts of the load may be detached from the loop(148).

The above described operations 124-144 may be repeated to accessadditional, upper floors of the building as needed. When finished withuse of the system, the winch and/or adjuster pulley may be moved tountension the loop (152) followed by removal of the loop from the winch(156). The winch may then be transported back to a storage ormaintenance location, such as a Fire Department station (160). Finally,the loop of cable may be put away, by, for example, being reeled back upinto its housing on the roof or secured to the side of the building(164).

Although the operations of the flow diagram above were describedsequentially, that does not mean that the operations in all cases mustbe performed sequentially. For example, in operation 112, the loop maybe closed (if not already closed) prior to, rather than after,installing the loop into the winch. As another example, the load may beattached to the loop before placing the loop under tension (operations120 and 116). To effect such variations, it may be necessary to designthe load and the manner in which the load is attached to the loopdifferently. For example, the load may include a different container 33as shown in FIG. 5A, where a rigid support structure 38 is a part of thecontainer that connects to the loop of cable 28. Other alternatives forthe design of the container, such as replacing the rigid structure 38with multiple sections of flexible wire rope, are possible.

Referring now to FIG. 9, a side elevation view of a technique forstabilizing the container 30 is shown. In this embodiment, the container30 is stabilized to the building 500 using a mechanism that includes aguide cable 102 that is attached to the side 508 of the building andruns along this side between the upper pulley and the base as shown. Afirst guide line 106 is provided that is under tension and connects theguide cable 102 to the container 30. The guideline 106 slides along theguide cable 102 through a ring 104. Another ring 108 is secured to thebottom of the container 30 and through which the guideline is passed.The guideline 106 is kept in tension by a weight 110. The weight 110continuously pulls the container 30 towards the building 500, tostabilize it in relation to the building and the loop of cable 28. Asthe container 30 is moved up and down by the winch 24, the ring 104slides up and down the guide cable 102 to continuously urge thecontainer 30 towards the building 500.

In addition to the mechanism described in the previous paragraph, thecontainer 30 may be further stabilized to the far section of the loop ofcable 28. This may be achieved by passing the far section of the loop ofcable 28 through a further ring 105, as shown. The mechanism workssubstantially in the same manner as in the other embodiment in that theweight 110 continuously pulls down on a further guideline 107, urgingthe container 30 towards the far section of the loop of cable 28. Insuch an embodiment, the tension to the guide cable 102 should preferablybe greater than the tension to the far section of the loop. Note thatinstead of using a single weight 110, the tensions may be appliedmanually by the occupants of the container 30, or through some otheralternative such as multiple, separate weights.

The stabilizing mechanisms described above do not interfere with theability to move the container 30 towards or away from the side 508 ofthe building as desired, by moving the winch 24. Thus, as can be seen inFIG. 10, the container 30 has been moved all the way up against the side508 of the building, by moving the winch 24 upwards (via raising a ramp25 of the vehicle 26) so as to create some slack in the near portion ofthe loop of cable 28, as shown.

It should be noted that in FIG. 10, the far portion of the loop of cable28 remains under tension between the winch 24 and the pulley 22. Thistension is caused by the weight of the container 30 (and the weight 110)pulling down on the loop of cable 28, while the far section of the loopof cable 28 is held by friction against the surface of a drum in thewinch 24. The sections below give additional details regarding the loopof cable, the pulley, and the winch, as well as other features of thesystem.

Container

The various embodiments of the invention described above allow access toan upper floor of a multi-story building from outside, without the needfor an enclosure shaft or guide rails used by typical freight elevators.There are different types of containers that can be attached to the loopof cable of this system. They may be completely rigid, cage likestructures, or may be composed of a platform with a flexible net. Theportability of the containers, however, should be considered as a factorthat effects their design. In particular, more than one container mayneed to be delivered, to the building, together with the winch.Alternatively, the containers may be stored at the building site ratherthan transported to the building. In addition, the container shouldpreferably allow quick entry and exit by the evacuees. Also, if buildingprojections are expected to keep the container from reaching the face ofthe building (even after the container has been moved as close aspossible towards the building), some type of walkway to the containershould be provided, for example, integrated with the container.Closeable entrances to the container are also desirable.

As described below, the loop of cable may be provided with a liftingring to which the top of the container may be attached via a safetyhook. This will allow the container to swing freely while suspended,depending upon the length of the line that attaches the hook to the topof the main structure of the container. Some movement is desirable, tohelp in manually positioning the container for loading and unloading. Asan alternative to a top connection, the attachment line may be directlyattached to a floor of the container. In that case, the container shouldbe steadied at its top by the tension in the loop of cable that ishoisting the container. Although not shown in the figures, wheels shouldbe fitted to the bottom of the container, preferably with brakes, forease of movement when on the ground.

The container may also be designed to carry extension ladders, grapplinghooks, crowd control equipment, cameras, batteries, generators, pumps,litters, harnesses, saws, and cutters.

Cable

The preferred type of cable to use is wire rope whose size and typeshould be selected based upon the load capacity and traction design ofthe system, as well as the structural capacity of the pulley. Whilelarger rope diameters can handle larger loads, smaller diameter wireropes are, in general, easier to handle, less expensive, and requiresmaller pulleys. As an example, the wire rope diameter may be expectedto be between ⅜ inch with a braking strength of about 15,000 lbs., and ½inch with a braking strength of about 26,000 lbs. When used for rescuepurposes, such as by the Fire Department, all instances of the systemshould preferably use the same, pre-selected wire rope size. Of course,these are only example dimensions such that in practice differentdimensions may alternatively be used as appropriate.

The loop of wire rope should be draped over the top pulley, and shouldbe long enough to reach an area next to the base of the building. Forexample, in the case of a single pulley embodiment, the length of theloop may be twice the vertical distance between the pulley and the base,plus about 10% height to allow the loads to be moved clear of thebuilding, as was described above.

Winch

The winch may be a traction hoist that uses power and braking todirectly act upon the far section of the loop, where power is used topull in the far section and thereby lift a load that is attached to thenear section, and braking is used to let out the far section to therebylower the load. Where loads are attached to both the far and nearportions of the loop (e.g., containers 30 and 32 in FIG. 3B), the winchshould have both forward and reverse traction to power the lifting andlowering of the heavier container. The following description of thepower requirements for the winch is provided in the context of anexample, where a single container being a basket is provided with acombined load of the basket and its contents of 5,000 lbs., to travelupward at 500 feet per minute. The theoretical power requirement in thiscase is estimated to be 75 horsepower. If total system efficiency isestimated at fifty percent, for a hydraulically driven system, the powerrequirement would be 150 horsepower. Of course, reducing thespecification to 250 feet per minute and 2,500 lbs. would reduce theneeded horsepower to less than 40 horsepower. By using variable volumehydraulic drives, the system may be able to raise heavier loads atslower speeds and light loads at full speed. With adequate brakingavailable, heavy loads may be lowered at the desired speed independentof the horsepower of the system. Depending on how the winch istransported, the system could be driven from a power takeoff on the samevehicle as the one to which the winch is anchored (e.g., pumper), orfrom a separate Fire Department engine or trailer that arrives on thescene.

As an alternative to a hydraulic system, a modified, electric elevatordrive system powered by a portable generator may be used. Note that bothhydraulic and electric drives are expected to have an inherent abilityto provide speed control, as well as power for lifting and braking forlowering the loads.

Several techniques may be used for providing traction to raise and lowerthe load on the cable. One example is to apply sufficient hydraulicpressure on pressure rollers (of the winch) against the cable, togenerate the required traction as the cable passes once under thetraction drum. Another technique is to use deflector sheaves ordiverters, to increase the contact radius to provide more traction withless required pressure on the cable. Yet another technique is to provideback pressure on the unloaded “tail line” or near portion of the loop ofcable, to increase the traction; this may preferably be self-energizedby a pressure roller whose force is generated by the tension created bythe suspended load. This tail line back tension may be generated bypassing the cable between a set of torque controlled, powered rollers.Another method is to pass the cable between two pressurized halves of asplit sheave. The pressure may be created with springs or hydrauliccylinders, and tail line back tension may be added, if necessary. Thesplit sheave traction principle may be preferable for the two-sidedembodiments (FIG. 3B).

Note that the winch may be composed of a traction sheave (not shown)that lies flat, i.e. horizontal with a truck bed of the vehicle 26, seeFIG. 1. The traction sheave may pivot against a fixed, pressure roller(not shown). Deflector pulleys (also not shown) may be provided todirect the two sides of the loop of cable 28 towards the upper pulley22. In such an embodiment, the upper pulley is preferably positionedparallel to the side of the building (rather than perpendicular as shownin the conceptual diagram of FIG. 1). The winch may also be breechloadable, so that it can open up to allow installation of a loopedportion of the cable, as compared to feeding an end of the cable throughthe winch. Other winch designs, and orientations of the pulley 22, arepossible.

The winch, which may be part of a control unit (not shown) for theentire system, may be placed at any location near the building that canbe reached by, for example, the Fire Department. The winch may be placedin line with the pulley, at a right angle from the face of the building(FIG. 3). Where the right angle location is not practical, however, thewinch may be placed at an oblique angle to the building face. It ispreferable that the intended winch and pulley locations for eachbuilding be designated in advance, so the correct lengths of wire ropemay be provided on the building.

Cable Connections

The containers that are attached to the cable are to travel up and down,preferably between the pulley at the top and the winch below. Thesecontainers, with their connections to the cable, need not pass over thepulley or under the winch. Accordingly, secure connections of most typesmay be used at the appropriate selected positions on the cable, withoutclearance concerns.

The cable may be cut to a single, continuous piece having a length thatis twice the distance from the pulley to the designated position of thewinch (e.g., at the base of the building). A ring may be attached at oneend of the cut cable, and a snap hook at the other end can be used toconnect the two ends to form a closed loop. The ring and snap hook maybe assembled to the cable with thimbles. The ring also provides a secureattachment for hanging the container (or other load) to the cable.

As an alternative, the loop of cable may be formed of two separate,continuous pieces, each of a length that is one-half the distancebetween the pulley and the operating position of the winch at the baseof the building, with similar ring and hook assemblies on the ends ofeach piece. This will also provide secure positions at opposite ends ofthe cable, for attaching two loads (e.g., containers 30, 32), such asfor the dual-sided embodiments.

Yet another connection mechanism for connecting a container to the cablemay be a quick acting rope grip, similar to those used to connectgondolas to wire ropes on ski lift systems.

Pulley

At least one, and in some cases two pulleys or sheaves, may be used inthe system. An advantage of using two sheaves is that when two basketsare used as in the dual-sided embodiments, there is clearance for thebaskets to pass each other, without the need to move the winch toprovide clearance. In the dual sheave embodiment (see FIGS. 6A-6C), thesheaves should be able to rotate so that the pulley wheels may alignthemselves in the direction of the tension in the wire rope. If thearchitect or the building owners would like the two sheave installationsto be less noticeable, deflector pulleys may be used.

The sheaves may be permanently or temporarily attached to the structureof the building in different ways. The choice may depend on thearchitect's attitude towards the appearance of the system on thebuilding. For instance, the sheaves may be mounted on davits, making itpossible to reach the roof level more easily especially if parapets needto be cleared. If desired, the davits could be folded out of sight, andthe tension in the wire rope used to automatically erect them. Inaddition, openings in the parapets may be provided for rigging tiebacks.

The frame holding the sheaves may be hung over the side of the building,and may rest against the building face. The sheaves may also be mountedon outriggers that project from the roof, or from lower elevations.These outriggers may be rigidly affixed, or less obtrusively arranged toslide outward when tension is applied to the wire rope. A preferredinstallation for the purposes of the Fire Department may be to have oneor two davits that are high enough to permit easy access to the rooflevel.

According to an embodiment of the invention, instructions may beprovided to operate a system for reaching from outside an upper floor ofa multi-story building, as described above with reference to one or moreof FIGS. 1-10. These instructions may be provided to, for example, FireDepartment personnel whose workers will be responding to an emergencycall regarding the building.

To summarize, various embodiments of a method and system for accessingan upper floor of a multi-story building from the outside have beendescribed. In the foregoing specification, the invention has beendescribed with reference to specific exemplary embodiments thereof. Itwill, however, be evident that various modifications and changes may bemade thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of theinvention as set forth in the appended claims. For example, instead ofor in addition to a container, a fire hose or electrical power cable maybe attached to the container or the cable, so that the length of firehose or cable is hoisted from a pumper or powered reel to the upperfloor. In addition, the system may also be used in non-emergencysituations, e.g. lifting or lowering heavy or bulky loads that do notfit into building elevators or may cause inconveniences for the tenants;and during construction modifications to avoid shifting long operationsto nights or weekends. Also, some of the techniques described above inrelation to buildings may be applied to certain other tall structuressuch as windmills and off-shore oil platforms. The specification anddrawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather thana restrictive sense.

1. A system comprising: a pulley permanently attached to a non-portablestructure; a closed loop of cable installed around the pulley and beingof sufficient length so as to reach, when deployed outside of thestructure, below the pulley to an area next to a base of the structure;a load attached to the loop; a traction winch around which the loop isoperatively installed to lift the attached load, the traction winchbeing located in the area next to the base; and a moveable pulley aroundwhich the loop is installed, the moveable pulley being located in thearea next to the base and designed to be moved relative to the winch andsaid pulley to (i) increase tension in the loop as installed so that theload, suspended by the loop, moves away from a side of the structure and(ii) decrease tension in the loop as installed so that the suspendedload moves towards the side of the structure.
 2. The system of claim 1wherein the structure is a building and the pulley is permanentlyattached to a structural support of the building located near an edge ofa roof of the building.
 3. The system of claim 2 wherein the winch ismounted on a vehicle and is designed to move relative to the vehicle andrelative to said pulley to change tension in the loop as installed so asto move the load, suspended by the loop, towards and away from a side ofthe structure.
 4. The system of claim 2 wherein the winch is mounted ona vehicle, and wherein the vehicle is to move horizontally in the areanext to the base to adjust a horizontal distance between the load, whilesuspended by the loop, and a side of the structure.
 5. The system ofclaim 1 wherein the winch is designed to be moved one of horizontallyand vertically relative to the pulley to move the load, suspended by theloop, towards and away from a side of the structure.
 6. The system ofclaim 1 wherein the winch is mounted on a vehicle.
 7. The system ofclaim 1 further comprising means for automatically deploying the loopfrom a resting state in the structure.
 8. The system of claim 1 whereinthe load is attached to a near section of the loop and wherein a farsection of the loop, when the loop has been deployed and installed onthe traction winch, is positioned farther from a side of the structurethan the near section.
 9. The system of claim 8 wherein the tractionwinch uses power and braking to directly act upon the far section of theloop, wherein power is used to pull in the far section and thereby liftthe load and braking is used to let out the far section to thereby lowerthe load.
 10. The system of claim 8 further comprising a loadstabilizing mechanism that includes: a guide cable attached to thestructure and running along the side of the structure between the pulleyand the base; a first guide line that is under tension and connects theguide cable to the load and can slide along the guide cable as the loadis one of raised and lowered; and a second guide line that is undertension and connects the far section of the loop to the load and canslide along the far section as the load is one of raised and lowered.11. The system of claim 8 comprising a further load attached to the farsection of the loop and designed for carrying further equipment orpersonnel.
 12. A system for raising firefighters and equipment to andevacuating people from an upper floor of a multistory building, thebuilding having a roof, a base, and at least one upper floor, saidsystem comprising: a bi-directional traction winch disposed at the baseof the building to cooperate with a first pulley permanently mounted onthe roof or an upper floor of the building and a closed loop of cableconnected around said first pulley and said traction winch; a firstcontainer for holding at least one person connected to said loop ofcable at the base of the building, so that (1) when said traction winchis activated in a first direction, said first container travels to theupper floor of the building, and (2) when said traction winch isactivated in an opposite second direction, said first container travelsto the base of the building; and a plurality of pulleys around whichsaid loop is further connected, one or more of said plurality of pulleysbeing designed to be moveable under power and under control of anoperator of the system, relative to the traction winch and the firstpulley, to move the first container towards and away from a face of thebuilding.
 13. A system according to claim 12, further including: asecond container connected to said loop of cable, said second containerdisposed on an opposite side of said loop of cable from said firstcontainer, so that (1) when said winch is activated in said firstdirection, said second container travels to the base of the building,and (2) when said winch is activated in said opposite second direction,said second container travels to the upper floor of the building.
 14. Asystem according to claim 12, further including: means for moving saidfirst pulley from a retracted position on the roof to an extendedposition wherein said first pulley hangs over an edge of the roof.
 15. Asystem according to claim 12, further including: means for storing saidloop of cable on the roof of the building prior to said loop of cablebeing connected around said winch.
 16. A system according to claim 12,further including: means for storing said loop of cable next to a faceof the building prior to said loop of cable being connected around saidwinch.
 17. A system according to claim 12, wherein a plurality ofselected positions along said loop are defined to which said firstcontainer is connectable.